The Oriole Dream

Written by OsEatAlEast

It may be just me with this thought. But I believe that Dan Duquette is going to do something great with the O's minor league system. He has a good track record with aquiring good talented players. But with constrictions on spending in the draft and what not. I think that DD may put his focus into making sure the guys that we do get have every chance to make it.

Here is what I'm getting at in a nutshell. With a limited amatuer budget MLB teams are going to have to switch some of the focus on making sure the guys that they get pan out. Instead of what they mostly do now with having players do what they will in the off season and letting the cream rise to the top. Then in spring being somewhat suprised by the shape or lack there of that the players come in with.

What DD needs to do I think is get on the cutting edge of baseball specific sports training. By hiring an expert or experts, and locating them locally with say a state of the art (year round) baseball training facility. Get it regimented and down to a science (1980's Bulgarian Olympic weighlifting team style) so that O's players know what they need to do to get better. So as to leave no doubt in their minds that if we do this program we are going to get better at said task.

This comes from a simple belief that in baseball to much is left to chance. Especially with helping minor leaguers get better. I also believe that if the O's get to this thought ahead of mostly every other MLB team. That we as O's fans will reap the rewards of a system like this for many years to come.